The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Pioneer Arts Fair
Dexter event features more than 50 local artists
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2008
The Dexter Pioneer Arts Fair is March 15 at Creekside Intermediate School in Dexter. The event will feature many local artists. Among the 50 artists scheduled to attend include the following:
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Susan Falcone: Local naturalist and artist
Susan Falcone, an Ann Arbor native, has been a naturalist and artist since childhood.
Falcone's award-winning works are painted using a glazing technique which uses many transparent layers of watercolor to produce glowing life-like colors. Unlike many painters who rely completely on photographs, Falcone studies her subjects in their natural habitat.
Of special interest to her are songbirds, birds of prey, marsh birds, and the small mammals, butterflies and wildflowers that are common in Southeast Michigan.
"I work from many different materials: my field sketches of live birds, detailed drawings from mounted birds, personal reference slides for details, and real branches, stumps, flowers, grasses or whatever I'm using for the background of the work," she said.
"I generally focus on the bird and a small part of its natural environment - I want to show a brief glimpse of the bird."
Falcone is a long time participant in The Dexter Pioneer Arts Fair.
One of Falcone's nature-inspired art pieces will be featured as a drawing prize for this year's event.
Debbie Rickelmann: Patriotic quilter
Debbie Rickelmann is a local quilter who has a patriotic flare.
Rickelmann has enjoyed sewing since she took her first sewing class at age 11. Since leaving her job with Ford, Rickelmann has decided to pursue her love of sewing in a unique way. She appears at local events dressed as Betsy Ross and making patriotic-inspired quilted artwork.
She quilts items such as table runners, placemats, purses and aprons, as well as full-sized quilts and baby quilts. Rickelmann first got her start at the Cambridge Junction/Walker Tavern Farmers' Market where she sells her quilts. She also has appeared at Waterloo Farm Museum events.
You can see Rickelmann demonstrate her quilting techniques at The Dexter Pioneer Arts Fair.
Mac Buxton: Wood carving
Mac Buxton's career as an expert wood craftsman started with a single spoon.
One summer 15 years ago, Buxton was busy harvesting and preserving vegetables from his garden when he realized he was in need of a spoon big enough to accommodate his kettle. So he carved one for himself. Buxton has been carving wooden spoons ever since. Not just any wooden spoons, but hand-carved works of art which are as useful as they are beautiful.
He has since branched out into making one of a kind lathe-turned bowls and serving pieces.
Buxton's wood pieces are created from exotic woods from the west coast and from many varieties of locally grown wood. Friends and customers alike give Buxton wood from their own yards in the hope of preserving the wood in a piece of art rather than having the wood go to waste.
Buxton and his wife Becky have based their business on a reputation of quality workmanship and a unique appreciation of natural wood. Mac Buxton's work has been shipped internationally; as far as Japan, Scotland, Brazil and Israel. They have booths at the Farmer's Markets in Brighton and Northville and participate in 10 art shows each year.
Buxton will demonstrate his wood-working techniques at The Dexter Pioneer Arts Fair.
A burl maple bowl donated by Mac Buxton will be featured as one of the drawing prizes.
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